Automatic doffing winder



April 13, 1954 F. R. MPER ETAL AUTOMATIC DOFFING WINDER Filed Jan. 2, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Pr PER M. GARDNER FRANK J'AM ES ATTORNEY www i90/16 y ,April 13, 1954 F. R. PlFl-:R ET AL AUTOMATIC DOFFING WINDER I Filed Jan. 2, 1951 YM @XM ATTORNEY5 April 13, 1954 Filed Jan. 2, 1951 F. R. PIPER ETAL AUTOMATIC DOFFING WINDER 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR FRANK R. PIPER `TAVIES M. GARDNER ATTORNEY April 13, 1954- F R, plpER ETAL 2,675,186

, AUTOMATIC DOF'FING WINDER Filed Jan. 2, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR FRANK R. PIPER JAMES MGARDNER ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 13, 1954 2,675,186 AU'IOMATICv DoFFING WINDER Frank R. Piper and James M. Gardner,

Ala., assignors to Fairfax,

West Point Manufacturing Company, Shawmut, Ala., a corporation of Alaama Application January 2, 1951, Serial No. 203,862 2 Claims. (Cl. 242-55) This invention relates to machines for winding sheet material into rolls, and particularly to apparatus for winding discrete, pre-cut lengths of material into roll package form, for convenience in handling, shipping and use. Crash tovvelling, for example, is commonlyprepared in fifty yard lengths for use in towel roller machines, hemmed at both ends, cleaned and nished, and may conveniently and economically be supplied in roll form lready for use by means oi the present invention. Y

Itis an object of the invention, accordingly, to provide apparatus adapted to windrsheet material lengths Iinto roll form at high speed, with a minimum of manual operation.

A lprimary object ofthe invention is to provide a simplified winding machine comprising means for automatically terminating the winding operation when the end of a material length is reached, and related means for automatically doing nished rolls.

Another object is to provide in a winding machine means for the automatic discharge of iinished rolls, and means operative on the discharge of a finished roll to automatically return the machine to condition for a succeeding winding operation. i

Other objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention and the novel features thereof may best be made clear from the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational View of an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an end elevational View of the machine of Figure 1, looking toward the winding mandrel thereof;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, showing details of the seam detector control mechanism, and

Figure 4 is a simplied circuit diagram of the machine control system.

Referring to the drawings, the machine comprises a frame I supporting thereabove a curved guide plate Il. The entry end of guide plate il extends rearwardly to a position spaced from the machine frame, and supports at its outer end a set of guide rollers I2, one or both of which may be provided with adjustable guides I3. Intermediate its length, plate Il may be provided with additional guides i4, and adjacent its inner end with a raised guide bar l5, mounting adjustable guides I6. Suitable frictional tensioning means, not shown, may also be provided at any suitable position along the guide plate.

Adjacent the inner end of the guide plate, a winding mandrel Il is suitably end mounted, as in the frame-supported bearings l5. Mandrel I1 is desirably of square or rectangular cross-sectional shape, to facilitate dofling therefrom. Intermediate bearings I 8, a driving pulley I9 is xedly mounted on the mandrel, the pulley being engaged in driven relationship by belt 2U to the pulley 2| driven by a suitable source of power, such as electric motor 22. As shown, the motor 22 is conveniently mounted below the machine frame.

Also mounted on mandrel i7, and preferably intermediate its bearings I8, is a brake drum .23, and a pneumatic cylinder 24 is mounted on the machine frame in alignment therewith, the rod 2t of the pneumatic cylinder extending toward the brake drum and carrying at its outer end a brake shoe or similar braking element 26.4

Intermediate the inner end of the guide plate and the Winding mandrel are rotatably mounted rollers 21 and 28, the latter being provided with adjustable edge guides 29. Associated in operative relationship with roller 2 is a detector mechanism indicated generally as3ll As best shown in Figure 3, the detector mechanism comprises a rotatably mounted circular cam` 3|, provided with an edge indentation 32. A Contact arm 33 extends from the cam, the outer end thereof being urged into adjacency to roller 21 by a spring 34 extending from the bracket 35, or other suitably positioned member, the movement of the contact arm being limited by stop 36. Disposed in adjacency to cam 3| is a switch 31, its arm 38 extending toward thevcam and carrying at `the outer end thereof a follower wheel 39, which is maintained in resilient engagement with the cam surface.

Associated with the as by bearings 43. An upwardly extending arm lill of the doing mechanism structure 4l carries a curved, slotted doffng plate 45, the slo|t46 thereof enclosing the machine mandrel, as shown `in Figure 3. A laterally extending arm 4'1 of the dofiing structure is pivotally engaged to the rod li of an elongated pneumatic cylinder 4g, which in turn is pivotally engaged to the machine frame. The cloning mechanism shaft #i2 mounts 53 bearing a follower wheel 54 maintained in resilient contact with the peripheral surface of the cam.

Adjacent the free end of mandrel I1 is disposed a downwardly inclined discharge chute 55, adapted to receive wound rolls doffed from the mandrel and convey them by gravity to a delivery position. Pressure air for the double acting pneumatic cylinders 24 and 49 is provided through flexible tubes ,55 by a single four-way diaphragm valve 51, the operation of which is controlled by a solenoid operated three-way pilot valve 58, in conventional manner. Further elements of the control system of the machine are indicated in Figure Ll, and include a starting switch 59, emergency stop switch 525, relay El and a double blade electromagnetic switch 52.

The operation of the mechanism will now be described in detail. riowel lengths, suitably nished and in folded or similar form, may be positioned beneath the outer end of the guide plate on a suitable platform, in a loasket or by other means. As the initial step of a winding operation, one end of a towel length is manually threaded through the machine and engaged to the mandrel. In the example shown, the towel end is passed around the guide rollers l2, stretched over and along guide plate l I, and then conducted below and around roller 21, the detector arm 33 being momentarily displaced for this purpose. The towel end is then threaded above and around roller 28 and led to the winding mandrel I1, as shown in Figure 3. To engage the towel end to the mandrel, the latter may be rotated a revolution or two, conveniently by employing brake drum 23 as a hand wheel. This completes the threading of the machine, in the course of which due attention is given to the various pairs of edge guides. The machine is so constructed, as will be evident, as to facilitate the threading operation, which may be performed very quickly by a practiced operator.

The towel length having been threaded in the machine, the winding operation may be initiated by momentarily closing starting switch 59, which may be mounted at any convenient location on or adjacent the machine. As will be seen in Figure 4.-, momentary closing of switch 59 completes a circuit through the solenoid of relay 6l, whereupon the relay switch closes, thereby completing a circuit through motor 2, which starts and drives mandrel l1, whereby the towel length is pulled through the apparatus and wound tightly and evenly upon the mandrel. Because the material length is rmly controlled, the mandrel may be driven at high speed, and the time consumed by the winding operation correspondingly reduced to a minimum. Closing of the relay switch I also completes a holding circuit for the relay solenoid, this circuit including the closed relay, the left-hand blade of normally open switch 62, and the normally closed switch B, so that the motor continues to .run when the button switch opens after its momentary closing.

In the course of normal operation, motor 22 continues to operate and wind the towel length on the mandrel, until the trailing end of the towel length reaches roller 21, rI'he trailing end being hemmed, the thickened portion thereof will strike detector arm 33, which lrides the towel length in the course of its passage over roller 21, and displaces the arm whereby cam 3l is rotated correspondingly in the clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 3. This movement of the detector cam dsplaces follower wheel 39 of switch arm 38 from position of the the cam indentation 3'2 to the outer peripheral surface of the cam, whereby the normally open switch 31 is momentarily closed.

The momentary closing of switch 31 by the end of the towel length initiates several operations. Referring again to the circuit diagram, it will be seen that momentary closing of this switch completes a circuit through the solenoid of electromagnetic switch 62, closing that switch. Closing of switch 62 completes a holding circuit through its solenoid whereby the switch is locked in, the holding circuit being -completed through switch 52 associated with the dolng mechanism shaft d2, and the right-hand blade of closed switch 62.

Closing of switch 62 also breaks the holding circuit through the solenoid of relay BI, which thereupon opens, breaking the circuit through motor '22, whereby the motor is deenergized. The closing of switch $2 also completes a circuit including switch 52 and closed switch S2, through the solenoid of pilot valve 58, whereby the pilot valve is energized and functions to reverse the four-way diaphragm valve 51. Pilot valve 51 is thereupon operative to effect extension of pneumatic cylinder 2li and retraction of pneumatic cylinder e9, Extension of the rod of pneumatic cylinder 24 causes frictional engagement of brake shoe Z''with the mandrel brake drum 23, whereby the mandrel and the completely wound roll thereon are brought to a complete stop. Substantially simultaneously, retraction of the rod oi cylinder 63 effects pivotallyV swinging movement of the dofng mechanism about the axis of shaft il?, whereby the doilng plate traverses the length of the mandrel in the direction of the free end thereof, engaging the adjacent end of the wound roll and dofng it therefrom.

The defied roll falls into the inclined discharge chute 55 and rolls `downwardly thereon, to a suitable delivery position. The inclination of the discharge chute is desirably such as to cause the nished rolls to roll therealong in the winding direction, to avoid unwinding in the chute. At the delivery point, the wound rolls may accumulate and be removed at convenient intervals, for tying, wrapping or the like.

Passage of the sheet material end past the detector mechanism, then, is effective to deactivate the mandrel drive, actuate the mandrel brake means, and initiate operation of the doiling mechanism. While these operations take place substantially simultaneously, it will be evident that some travel of the cloth length occurs before the mandrel is brought to a complete stop. In the exemplary embodiment, this time lag is adequate to permit movement of the trailing material end from roller 21 to the roll on the mandrel, whereby the winding is completed. Similarly, a slight time lag in operation of the doimg mechanism is inherent, and this is taken advantage of to insure that the winding operation is completed and the mandrel brought to full stop before the end of the wound roll is engaged by doiilng plate @5. The spacing between the initial doihng plate and the cloth roll may be varied to effect contact of the cloth roll by the doing plate at the instant the doffmg roll stops, or substantially immediately thereafter.

Although the detector mechanism is conveniently mounted in operative association with roller 21 in the exemplary embodiment, it will be apparent that it may be otherwise positioned. For example, its arm may ride the cloth length at a point closer to or further from the mandrel,

the time lag due to braking of the mandrel being correspondingly adjusted to allow for passage lent detector mechanisms will readily occur to those skilled in the art.

` At the end of the dong mechanism stroke, the cam 50 will rotate with shaft 42 sufficiently upon the follower wheel will drop into the inthen functions to eiect retraction of cylinder 24 and extension of cylinder 49. The extension of cylinder 49 returns the doiing mechanism to initial position shown in Figure 2, and the retraction of solenoid 24 frees mandrel I1 for the ensuing winding operation. Arrival of the cloning mechanism at the end of its operative stroke, then, is eiective to automatically reverse the doiiing mechanism and return it to initial position, and to release the mandrel brake.

Threading of the succeeding material length through the machine for Winding may be substantially completed during the doiiing of the preceding roll and the return stroke of the doing mechanism. Freeing of the mandrel brake permits the new towel end to be engaged t the mandrel in the manner previously described, whereupon the next winding operation may be initiated by momentary closing of switch 59.

In the event switch 31 fails to function, that is, if switch 31 is not momentarily closed by the nal end of a towel length moving therepast, the winding operation may be terminated and the braking and domng mechanisms activated by means of the stop switch 60. Stop switch 6U is of double-throw push button type, normally occupying the position shown in circuit with the solenoid of relay 6I, and may be displaced momentarily to break the circuit through the solenoid of relay 6|, and to close a circuit through the solenoid of switch 62 and a circuit; through the solenoid of pilot valve 58. In other words, displacement of switch 60 performs the same function as does momentary closing of switch 31, and an identical sequence of operations follows. The stop switch 69 may be utilized to stop the winding operation, brake the mandrel and activate the cloning mechanism at any time. If desired, the stop switch or another switch may be utilized merely to deenergize motor 22, or to deenergize the motor and brake the mandrel.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention a structure in which the various objects hereinbefore set forth, together invention, al1 without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for winding and automatically doliing discrete lengths of sheet material comprising a mandrel mounted at one end and free at the other end thereof, power means for driving said mandrel, manually operable means for initially actuating said mandrel driving means, means for braking said mandrel, dolnng means associated with said mandrel and adapted to material end past a point adjacent said mandrel to simultaneously deactivate said mandrel driving means, actuate said mandrel braking means and actuate said mandrel dong means, and means effective at the end of the dof'dng means stroke to simultaneously reverse said doing means and deactivate said mandrel braking means, whereby said mandrel may be manually rotated to engage a successive sheet material length thereto.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,298,013 Crowe Mar. 25, 1919 1,963,381 Purdy .June 19, 1934 2,215,625 Thourot Sept. 24, 1940 2,306,466 Patterson Dec. 29, 1942 2,321,055 Warp June 8, 1943 2,384,194 Potts Sept. 4, 1945 2,403,147 Westergaard July 2, 1946 

